Roses & raspberries

The 'Race to the Bottom' award
- A raspberry to
state Sen. Bill Morrow, R-Oceanside, who asked anti-immigration
extremist Mike Chase to join Morrow's congressional campaign
steering committee. Chase heads a group variously called California
Minutemen and California Border Watch, which places armed civilians
along the border to catch illegal immigrants.

Like some other candidates, Morrow apparently has been acting on
bad political advice that says to win in North County a candidate
must pander to the extremes of the immigration debate. Our
community and our nation needs calm, rational policies and genuine
leadership in Washington -- not extremism.

The 'Step Up for Neighbors' award

A rose to the people who volunteer to serve on city boards and
commissions. Just 14 people recently applied for 13 openings on the
boards and commissions that advise the San Marcos City Council.
Only four of the applicants were newcomers. If more people don't
step up for these important posts, the "old boys network" will run
city halls all over North County.

The 'Nah, It Ain't Our Money' award

A special raspberry to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors
for handing exorbitant pay raises last week to three elected
officials in spite of public outrage. By unanimous consent, the
board gave District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, Sheriff Bill Kolender
and Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister pay hikes ranging from
19 percent to 39 percent in a single year.

These three barnstormed the county asking the public for these
jobs -- at the old pay. If North County Supervisors Bill Horn and
Pam Slater-Price just can't help themselves from handing over tax
dollars for such astronomical raises, then Dumanis, Kolender and
McAllister should have the decency to refuse the pay hikes until
after the next time they run for office. Give voters a chance to
mull these raises.

The 'Not As I Do' award

A raspberry to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has been driving
his Harley Davidson around Southern California for years without a
proper motorcycle drivers license. He has wiped out at least twice,
most recently last week as he took his twelve-year-old son for a
ride in a sidecar. A separate raspberry goes to the Los Angeles
police who failed to give the governor a ticket.

If North County's checkpoints are any guide, driving without a
valid license means a stiff fine and vehicle impoundment. Why
didn't the police tow away Arnold's Harley?

The 'More Cost of Corruption' award

Yet another raspberry to former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham,
R-Escondido, whose decision to take bribes from defense contractors
will cost county taxpayers an estimated $1.3 million for the April
11 special election to find his replacement. The county is begging
for reimbursement in a bill before the state Legislature.

In a perfect world, Cunningham would pay for the election in the
form of fines and forfeited assets, but we suspect the bulk of his
wealth came from taxpayers in the first instance -- either in the
form of congressional pay, or in the form of bribes from
contractors who got their cash from the Pentagon; in other words,
us.